Saudi Arabia hosts talks with US, regional allies on Thursday

DUBAI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will hold talks about
militant violence in the region on Thursday with the United
States and Muslim allies, the kingdom announced on Tuesday, in
an apparent attempt to support international efforts to tackle
crises in Iraq and Syria.

The world's No. 1 oil exporter is unnerved by the rapid
advance of Islamic State -- a militant group that has overrun
swathes of Iraq and Syria -- and fears it could radicalise some
of its own citizens and lead to attacks on the U.S.-allied
government.

"The meeting will tackle the issue of terrorism in the
region and the extremist organisations that stand behind it and
the means of addressing it," a statement carried on the official
Saudi Press Agency said.

It said the participants would include Egypt, Turkey, Jordan
and member states of the six-country Gulf Coopertion Council
(GCC), which in addition to the kingdom comprises Bahrain, the
United Arab Emirates, kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

Arab League foreign ministers agreed on Sunday to take all
necessary measures to confront the Islamic State.

President Barack Obama, who has authorised weeks of air
strikes in Iraq to check advances by Islamic State fighters,
would like Gulf Arab states to consider military action as well,
and would like to see them support Sunni Muslim moderates in
Iraq and Syria who could undermine the appeal of Islamic State.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is to travel to Saudi
Arabia and Jordan in the coming week for talks with Gulf leaders
to determine whether they are prepared to back up their
anti-jihadist rhetoric with action.

(Reporting by Reem Shamseddine, Writing by William Maclean,;
Editing by Ralph Boulton)